Boarding Buses w/ECV Question

[Ms_Butterfly]

If a party of two disabled people has one person in an ECV, who loads first, does the other person get to board the bus after the person in the ECV is loaded to ensure them a seat (which they need) on the same bus? Or do they have to get at the end of the line and hope somebody will be nice enough to give up a seat if the bus is full, otherwise wait for the next bus, separating the two people?

Thanks!

 

[Michigan]

The ECV person and their party wait at the wheelchair loading section of the line and one the ECV is on the rest of the party boards the bus before the regular line enters.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

If you have 2 people using ECVs / wheelchairs and you don't want your party to get separated, you will not be able to board a bus if there is already a wheelchair or ECV user on it, as there are only two wheelchair spaces on each bus. That was a very long sentence, but I hope it made sense.

 

[SueM in MN]

If you have not checked it out, there is a section in the disABILITIES FAQs thread about WDW buses.

If you have 2 people - one with an ECV, one without an ECV, both should stay together. The driver will load the ECV and then the other person can get on.

 

[Bill81]

My wife and I just returned from a few days at WDW. My wife was on an ECV and would get loaded first by the driver. I would wait next to the rear door while my wife was loading and normally the driver would wave me to come onto the bus through the same door once they had secured the scooter on the bus.

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

Thanks, I didn't get to check for answers before I left, but it worked as y'all said. I often loaded up the ramp after (or one time before) my friend was put on, or via the stairs if it was a bus with a lift instead of a ramp. Other ppl were really nice and would let me load up the steps ahead of them when the front doors opened. Thankfully, I didn't see any of the bad looks or hear any complaints/comments that others have mentioned!

One thing I did do was put a recognizable sign on the ECV so we would be able to find it quickly when we had to park it at a ride, restaurant, etc. I put two images on the sign: a Hello Kitty character (my friend's favorite, even though it isn't Disney) and the handicapped symbol. I put the symbol on there because somebody else on these boards said they put copies of their handicapped permit on their scooter and it helped with the looks/comments. Since I couldn't make copies of my friend's permit, I put the symbol on the sign instead. So, even though she looks young and healthy and is able to walk very short distances, we didn't have any problems.

Only once (that I know of) were we on a bus with a second wheeled person (this one in a wheelchair) and that was when one of the parks closed. And once when we were on the monorail we were with another wheeled person. I think one of the times we were on the Friendship boats we were with another wheeled person, as well, but I can't recall.